The interim leader of the B.C. Greens said his party will "lean heavily" into the review of the government program designed to reduce greenhouse emissions following the end of the consumer carbon tax.

The Conservative Party of B.C., meanwhile, is claiming credit for the cancellation of the carbon tax and is pushing for additional changes. 

Launched in 2018, CleanBC calls on government to reduce greenhouse emissions responsible for human-caused climate change by 40 per cent by 2030. 

"We will fight for a B.C. that can call itself a climate leader again," Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, said. "The B.C. Greens will not give up on an electrified, decarbonized economy and a sustainable British Columbia.鈥�

He made that vow after the provincial legislature effectively ended the consumer carbon tax during a late-night sitting of the provincial legislature that ran until almost 2 a.m. on Tuesday (April 1).

The review of Clean BC is one of the central elements of the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord signed by the B.C. NDP Premier David Eby and the B.C. Greens and it is now shaping up to be a test of the relationship between the two parties. 

"We were able to find agreement with the (B.C. NDP) on many matters in the (accord) and I hope we can similarly find a new path forward for major climate action, fiscal responsibility and affordability," Saanich North and the Islands MLA Rob Botterell said. 

These comments appear in a statement that adds to Valeriote's criticism during the overnight debate Monday and Tuesday.

鈥�(April Fools' Day) usually involves light-hearted jokes, but today, the BC NDP have managed to fool themselves into believing they are still climate leaders," Valeriote said.

He added the B.C. NDP 鈥� which had once campaigned on axing the tax in 2009 following its introduction by the then-B.C. Liberals before embracing it 鈥� has come full circle. "This is a flip-flop not based on principle and evidence, but by following the lead of the Conservatives who flirt with climate change denial," he said. 

Botterell, meanwhile, criticized government for not only adding to the provincial deficit by cutting the tax, but also ending the climate action tax credit designed to help low-to-moderate-income families impacted by the carbon tax. 

鈥淣ot only has the B.C. NDP taken a massive step backwards for climate action, but they have also taken a massive step backwards for fiscal management and affordability 鈥� all in a single day," he said. 

Notably, many Conservatives speaking during the debate and Tuesday's Question Period also raised questions about the fiscal and social impact of the tax's cancellation. 

Conservative Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops-Centre, summed up these concerns during Tuesday's Question Period. 

"They cut $2.8 billion out of their budget last night in revenue and refuse to tell the public in the middle of budget estimates what substantive cuts will or will not be happening in their budget," he said. "Well, they did tell us one thing will be cut. Low-income households can expect to lose their climate action tax credit in addition to the grocery rebate this government won't deliver on."

But if provincial Conservatives and B.C. Greens shared some points of concerns, they fundamentally disagreed over the consequences flowing out of the cancellation of the carbon tax. 

While the B.C. Greens are pushing the B.C. NDP on the CleanBC review, Conservatives are not only claiming victory, they are also pushing for additional changes.

鈥淭his is a win for every British Columbian who spoke up, pushed back, and demanded relief,鈥� Rustad said in a statement. 鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear: David Eby didn鈥檛 scrap the carbon tax because he wanted to鈥攈e did it because he was forced to. Public pressure worked (and) it shows that when people stand up together, politicians are forced to listen.鈥�

He also pushed for additional changes in echoing several Conservative speakers during Monday's debate. 

Conservative Skeena MLA Claire Ratt茅e said the industrial carbon tax still remains in place.

"We are a resource-based province," she said. "Forestry, mining, LNG, manufacturing: these are sectors that provide good, family-supporting jobs and they've been punished under this government's carbon tax regime. By leaving the industrial carbon tax in place, the NDP are still hobbling the very sectors that drive prosperity in regions like Skeena." 

Ratt茅e added it is not enough for government to eliminate the consumer carbon tax.

"We need a full re-evaluation of how we balance environmental goals with economic reality. Right now the balance is badly off and families are paying the price," she said. 

Government, meanwhile, continues to defend the cancellation.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday morning, B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said the carbon tax was just one tool to fight climate change. Dix also cited a recent speech from Hydro-Qu茅bec president Michael Sabia in which Sabia rhetorically questioned that the "path to a low-carbon economy would be a straight line." Sabia also warned of ups and downs. 

"We need to hear not the noise, but the signal and the signal is to invest in renewable energy," Dix said.